Herbal Grey

If you’re like me and haven’t really been digging the black tea parade then you know what I’m missing. You know those giant bags of Twinings Earl Grey? That is what I am craving. Not any fancy Nepal Black or Assam Banaspaty or even Darjeeling. The cornflower and bergamot aroma are almost unmatched in the herbal world. Almost. I only say this because this particular blend doesn’t contain any caffeine and has much less of a stimulating diuretic effect on the body.

Herbal Grey

This is the closest herbal blend that tastes & feels like black tea without actually containing any tea at all.

Pour hot, boiled water over equal parts

Monarda (Bee Balm) flower or leaf

Oregano flower or leaf

Nettle leaf

Labrador Tea leaf

With a red clover floret for good measure.

Monarda attracts pollinators like no other. It’s an odd looking flower; neon red tubular petals growing out the side of a large, brown centre. Getting intimate with bee balm is to be intoxicated with its aroma alongside the likes of hummingbirds and syrphid flies.

Oregano is unfortunately not used very often in tea service and I’m not entirely sure why. It adds richness to tea blends without feeling too astringent.

I don’t think I can go a single post without mentioning just how amazing nettle is.

Labrador tea is not related to Camellia sinensis but in fact is related to the blueberry and is often a companion plant on the acid, sloping hills which they prefer.